A Mysterious Encounter
by LavenderMochi
Summary: Link was destined to save Hytopia once and for all, but on his way to the Drablands, Link stumbled upon a very particularly odd individual. Who was this person? And why was this person interested in Link? In this story, Link from A Link Between Worlds is NOT the same Link from Tri-force Heroes.


The Tri-force hero was sent from Hyrule to Hytopia to save the kingdom's princess from a wretched curse. Said hero was named Link. He had explored all of the Drablands, a treacherous place also cursed with monsters and fiends. This bright afternoon, Link was gearing up to prepare for his final encounter with the witch who had caused such problems in the first place, The Lady.

He knew everyone in the village, even The Lady's sister, his accidental fashion adviser Madame Couture. There weren't many people in Hytopia to meet in the first place, but they had grown to become another part of Link's growing adoptive family. Link was determined to end the tyrannical rule The Lady held over this world of fashion. He was the only one who could.

So, Link was hitting town one last time before re-challenging The Lady, and before having to leave back to his life in Hyrule. Link spoke with everyone, more tearfully so with his fellow-er companions, Madame Couture and the Fashionable Young Woman who stood in front of the changing room and always inspired him to look his best.

As he strolled back to King Tuft's palace, however, he was suddenly stopped by his own curiosity when he saw a battle-worn man he had never seen before shuffle across the bridge. Link padded to a stop to observe the on-comer, his mind unusually intrigued with the mysterious character strolling peacefully on the stone path.

The man seemed in disarray—or that could've been a new fashion statement, it was hard to tell. His skin was a ghastly greenish hue, his eyes half-lidded with no spark in his irises, his thin lips parted slightly and makeup smeared across his cheek. His rather thin body frame was covered with a dusty blue-black tunic and stripped satin pants. His tattered cape dragged on the pavement behind him. Link took a moment to pity the depressing man, whom he had never seen before.

Link expected the man to continue along, but alas. As soon as the two came shoulder to shoulder, the man stopped. Link looked to him, who seemed to tense under the gaze of the renowned Tri-force hero.

"You..." he grated, his lifeless pupils flicking to look down upon the young hero, "You are the Tri-force hero, are you not?"

Link blinked, then nodded. At that very moment, the man's eyes lit up suddenly, catching Link completely off guard. The man gawked at Link for a moment.

"...From...Hyrule." he said. Link nodded again.

The man laughed softly, reaching out and touching Link's face with a brush of his thumb. Link recoiled sharply, and the man frowned, tears welling up in his eyes.

Though his hand dropped, the man's stare did not. Link felt uneasy.

"I knew one like you." he said, "From Hyrule." he straightened his spine, and repeated, "He was from Hyrule." the man shook his head and teared his gaze away, laughing, "I wasn't from Hyrule." the man looked back, "What...are you called?"

Link uttered for the first time, eyes wide with wonder and caution, "They call me Link. That's my name, Link."

The man's lips twitched.

"That was his name, too." he said, "Young. Blue eyes and blond hair."

"You say you know him, but you are not from Hyrule." Link said, and the man laughed.

"That is the truth." he said, "I came from another land beneath that precious Hyrule of yours." The man paused, body quivering with what Link inferred as anger or sadness. "Lorule. I come-... _came_ from a land named Lorule." the man's tone turned soft, "A crumbling kingdom. Led by a doomed princess." he growled, "Abandoned by a coward hero." his fists shook with rage, his eyes lighting up like flames in a forest, "Attempted salvation by a devious chancellor." he paused, sparing a look to Link, whose ears had become enraptured in the words of the mysterious stranger. "Hilda. Ravio. Yuga." the man uttered.

"What happened to the kingdom?" Link asked.

"The ancestors of the princess had a Triforce much like your own. It was highly coveted among all. There were wars. Battles fought for the possession of the divine power. But it was all for naught, as the ancestors of the princess decided the best course of action was to rid the kingdom of such greed and power." the man laughed, shaking his head, "The princess was left with a kingdom collapsing on itself. Without the Triforce, the kingdom could not be allowed to survive."

Link leaned forward in interest, "And what happened to the princess?"

"The chancellor. Yuga." he said, as if he was correcting the young hero, "The chancellor found Hyrule. Found it's Triforce. The key to allowing his princess' kingdom prevail. So the plan was conjured to collect the pieces of the Triforce to bring it to Lorule."

"How?"

The man smiled.

"One could be obtained by summoning the demon king. One could be obtained from the princess of the world above. But the last? Only the hero possessed it. The final piece of the puzzle, in the hands of the hero who was destined to best any evil who would dare bring misfortune and death to the kingdom of Hyrule." the man shook his head, "Though Lorule was eventually saved by the righteous deed of the Princess of Hyrule, what was to become of those who planned to take Hyrule's Triforce? The princess, the chancellor..."

"What happened?"

"The princess understood her wrongdoings, and was pardoned by the Princess. But the chancellor was deemed evil in his actions, and though that couldn't be denied, one would not stop to realize he was only obeying the requests of his princess' pleas. 'Save the kingdom, Yuga. Please,' she used to say, 'You are the only one whom I can trust. You are the only one who had stayed by my side all of these years. Please, I beg of you. You, my only hope.' she said." The man pursed his lip, sniffling harshly as he wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks. "But that's not what she said after the vain attempt!"

Link urged, "What did she say?"

The man looked sharply to Link, prominent nose nearly touching Link's own.

"'I, Princess Hilda of Lorule, hereby declare Yuga, Royal Chancellor and Royal Adviser of the Princess of Lorule, a delinquent for all his offenses against the Kingdom of Hyrule and Lorule alike, and therefore banish him to the kingdom of Hytopia, where he will commit no further crimes against the Triforce and those living under it.'"

The man pulled back, eyes wide and alive. He grinned, despite the tears staining his cheeks.

"The hero, holder of the Triforce of Courage...his name was Link." the man said, "And mine. It is Yuga."

Link took a step back, eyes wider than saucers.

"The only reason why the Princess of Lorule banished me here was because that wretched hero Link. That wriggling _worm_. If I ever had a chance to see him again, I would take him by the throat and strangle his last breath from his lips with my bare hands." Yuga said, looking murderous.

Link pressed himself against the balcony as far possible as he could, fear evident in his body language. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, ready to slash down this new foe should Yuga try to make a move.

Yuga saw this gesture, and he threw his head back with a dramatic cackle.

"But you are a silly hero. Even in banishment," he looked to Link, his cackle fading to silence. Solemnly, somberly, he continued, "I comply to the wishes of the Princess Hilda."

And he took a step forward, away from Link. Link lowered his guard, eying the trudging ex-chancellor. Yuga looked back, smiling with wet cheeks.

"You go along, now. Save _this_ doomed kingdom as well. I will be leaving this kingdom soon, so you have no need to worry about me." Yuga turned his head to the sky, taking in a deep breath of air. "Yes, I will be leaving this kingdom soon."

And he continued shuffling down the path, leaving Link on the bridge without another word.


End file.
